


Kate Bishop is not Dead

by orphan_account



Category: Black Widow (Comics), Captain America (Movies), Hawkeye (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Young Avengers
Genre: Author Is Sleep Deprived, Captain America is a Total Dad, Where Kate Bishop Has Been in the MCU timeline, katebucky is alive
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-03
Updated: 2015-08-06
Packaged: 2018-04-12 17:40:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4488696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Where has Kate Bishop been all this time? Where are the Young Avengers when we need them?<br/>Ex-Young Avenger, ex-heiress, ex-normal human. Kate Bishop is technically dead to the world. She's half super soldier and looking to avenge her best friend Cassie while looking for her other teammates. In the meantime she runs into the Winter Soldier and occasionally comes home to the Barton farm for dinner. This leads you through a timeline of most of the MCU movies from the first Avengers up to the recent Ant-Man.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Act One

**Author's Note:**

> I'd like to make a playlist for this. Right now I'm listening to To Build a Home by the Cinematic Orchestra on repeat. It'll make sense the more I write.

**Post-Ultron**

"Kate, you shouldn't have." Cap smiled, with light tears in his eyes. They were standing his his new apartment loft in Brooklyn, the building Kate bought.

"You don't like it?" she asked.

He hugged her tightly. "I love it. Thank you."

"I'm your kid no matter what." she whispered. 

Cap laughed. "I know, Kate. You are my only blood after all." 

* * *

 

**Post-Battle of New York**

"Absolutely not." Tony Stark shook his head. "You support this? A bunch of teenagers running around in tights, saving the city? One of them being my goddaughter who's father despises me. Do you really want the second richest man in New York after me? You probably do. These kids... they're just copies of what we already have. Do their parents even know?" 

"Tony, calm down. They have potential, they've already done so much. The city loves them. You're upset because the people like them more than us. They don't destroy entire cities. They're young and devoted and by god, we can't stop them. We have to train them or else then they'll end up dead. If you really care about this goddaughter, then support her team. Clint can train her, maybe even Natasha-" Cap said.

"Oh yes, how are we supposed to get our two secretive agents and teammates to babysit a charitable princess." he looked at the kids through the window. "What we're dealing with here... this Cassie girl. That's the Pym particle. How did she get that? Scott Lang is dead and so is Pym. How did a fourteen year old get a hold of something like that? There's a mini-hulk down there only that's not gamma radiation that causes him to do that, Bruce has already seen him in action. Then there's your little mini-me. He says he's a super soldier like you. That's impossible!" 

Steve sighed and looked at them, "It's a similar drug."

"It's called steroids, Steve. And they've allowed it." Tony rubbed his temples.

"He's stopped." Steve defended him.

"Can we get back to what I'm trying to point out to you?" Tony sipped a water.

"I don't have an answer to any of that. All I know is that these kids belong here with us. Maybe not on our team yet but.... Tony we're getting older. There will come a time where we will need to recruit new people and then worry about training them. Why wait so long? There's others out there, more than ever but we have four kids who already have proved their worth it and are ready for the next step right in front of us. If I'm the only one for this, I'll train them myself." 

"Why are you so passionate about this, Rogers? They aren't your kids, you know. They have families who's lives will potentially be put in danger if you go through with this." Tony sighed. 

"I know they aren't. But I know what it's like to be a kid who wants to do something more with the life their given. They don't want to kill, they want to protect. That's what makes a hero. Each and all of them are that. There is evil out there, we've seen our share of it. I want to protect them from that. They want to protect others. We can't always protect the city from things that the police can't either. They can. Eventually they'll be saving the world from whatever else the world's evil can come up with. Tony, this isn't about me. It's about them and their future. We make it a better place for them, or at least we're trying, why can't they save their own future?"

Tony looked confused and walked towards the window. "That's nice but... where are the kids?"

"Shit! Eli, back up."

"Be quiet they can hear us!"

"We are in so much trouble." 

Steve and Tony stood in front of them, Tony cleared his throat. "Have at them, Cap. But if they get into trouble I'm calling their parents. Katherine, that especially means you."

* * *

 

**Way before the HYDRA exploitation and Winter Soldier**

"Kids, I'd like you to meet Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton. Your Black Widow and Hawkeye. They'll be teaching you some basic fighting and will work with you one on one." Cap presented his teammates. 

After hours of training, Clint approached Kate. "So you're the lil Hawkeye." 

"That's a new one. The  _Daily Bugle_ calls me Black Hawk or Lady Hawkeye." she rolled her eyes, she was ready for him to be rude to her. _  
_

"Lucky you, sometimes they forget I'm a part of the team. Listen girly-girl, I don't mind that you're doing this. I think it's great. So does Natasha. But it's dangerous. We're not everyone's favorite SHIELD agents. You have great abilities, we want to help you become greater. All of you." Clint said in a low voice. 

"Really?" Kate glanced over at Natasha, who was training with Eli.  _Do you think she remembers me?_

_During the Battle of New York, Kate was walking home from her kickboxing class. She helped get people into nearby safe places._

_"You have to get in there, it's about to get a hell of a lot worse." Black Widow warned her._

_"Not until everyone is off the streets." Kate said defiantly._

_"Are you always this brave?" she said guiding more people into the church._

_"Are you?" Kate asked her_.

"Cap thinks a lot of you kids. He isn't one to over-exaggerate, either. If he supports you, so do we." Clint handed her a bow. "This is the bow I used during the Battle of New York, I want you to have it."

"Thanks, Clint. This is great. I don't really know what to say." Kate was probably redder than a tomato, but she was happy.  _Captain America, the Black Widow and Hawkeye think my team and I can do this._

Cassie came running over to tell Kate about how cool Natasha was. "She is a literal goddess, Kate.  I want to be her. She's so nice too. You think she'd be cold and distant but she's really funny and really embodies the whole cool older sister thing. You'll love her." 

"I can't believe this is really happening. Look what Clint gave me. The bow he used in the Battle."

"Holy shit. That's so cool."

"They seem close." Natasha said. Steve smiled, observing the two girls talking excitedly. 

"All of them are close, a lot closer than our team. Kate and Cassie... they're closer than that. I think they would protect each other at any cost." 

"And that worries you." It worried Natasha too. 

"I know what that was like. I watched my best friend die and I couldn't do anything to save him." Steve looked down at his shoes. 

"Steve, the chances of that happening are slim to none. This is Ant-Girl and hell- Clint and I combined, almost. They aren't soldiers." Natasha watched as they all laughed at one of Clint's horrendous jokes. "They're growing on me."

"I thought you were against that." Steve teased. 

"You don't know me at all, Rogers." she teased him. 

"Maybe I'm afraid to." he looked back up at her through his eyelashes.

Six months later, Natasha took the Young Avengers on a mission with her. A con-man supposedly brainwashing orphans in the children's ward of the hospital to create an army. It wasn't their first big mission with Natasha, but there was a certain level of anxiety in all of them. Cap wasn't with them.

"If we don't make it out of there, I just want you to know that I think you're a great leader, Kate." Eli said to Kate in private. "You'll make a great Avenger. I'm glad you gave me a second chance."

"I know." she pulled him towards her and kissed him lightly. "Now that's a proper farewell, Patriot."

Cassie was acting unusual toward Kate, only talking to Teddy. Kate didn't realize it was because she was scared. 

"I don't have a good feeling about this." Cassie whispered. 

"Neither do I. But we're prepared, we've trained well for this." Kate held Cassie's shaking hands. 

"Remember the story Cap told us? The one about the night Bucky died..." Cassie's eyes filled with fears. So did Kate's.

"I'm not falling out of a train anytime soon, Cass." Kate laughed and cautiously wiped her eyes to avoid smearing her makeup. 

"I'll try to not land any aircrafts into the arctic." she smirked. 

Everything was hazy in Kate's eyes. She couldn't hear anything. Natasha was over her, protecting her. Natasha was covered in blood, Kate's and her own. She looked like she was saying something to Kate and then to the SHIELD agents who were there. One of them picked Kate up and put her on a gurney and then raised Natasha on another one, rolling the gurneys onto the hellicarrier.  

"Where's my team?" Kate yelled hoarsely, not hearing herself. The nurses were trying to hush her  "Where are they? Where are my friends?" 

Natasha ran to her, and held her even though the doctors were pulling them apart, the doctors took Natasha away and injected Kate with something. 

She was in a SHIELD hospital when she woke up. She could hear. Like,  _really_ hear. She could hear the lights flickering above, the breeze through the screened window, nurses chatting in the hallway, and even footsteps. She was bandaged up on her leg, abdomen, her head, and her left shoulder, which was in a sling. She slid her legs off the bed and pushed herself off with her right arm. She felt taller, her hair was longer and lighter. Her breathing was easier than usual, her vision was completely perfect too. She started to panic. She found herself running out of the room where she was stopped by her doctor. She could see Cap talking to someone, she could hear them talking. 

"Cap!" she yelled, her voice was different too. He turned his head and ran toward her. 

"She needs rest." her doctor said. "We have another operation to do today." 

"That won't be necessary, ma'am. We have another option to handle this. I'd like to speak with her in private." 

The man Cap was speaking to followed them back into Kate's room. When the door closed, Cap hugged her tightly.

"You got taller." he chuckled. 

"What happened to me, Cap?" Kate said, calming down. 

Steve looked down and sighed. "You lost so much blood. You nearly died on the table, I came in as soon as I got word of what happened to- the only way to save you was to give you my blood. They were worried it wouldn't adapt in your bloodstream, but it worked."

"I-I'm a super soldier?" Kate felt dizzy.

"Not entirely, according to the professionals, but you do have some enhancements. Thankfully, not too many." His hand was tight on hers. 

"Where is everyone else?" she asked. 

Cap blinked a few times. "I thought you knew." 

"Captain Rogers, perhaps we shouldn't. I can-" the man was cut off by Cap saying; "She needs to hear it from me, but thank you, Doctor."

* * *

**A few months before the Winter Soldier events**

"Do you have to move to D.C.?" Kate said as she helped lift boxes into a moving van. 

"SHIELD orders." he said monotonously. "I don't want to go. I wish you could tag along, get an apartment by me. We could see all the landmarks together." his voice cheered up.

"You know I can't. SHIELD orders. You could visit all the landmarks though, just FaceTime me and we can laugh at how big Lincoln looks. Plus, I heard you have your own little area at the Smithsonian. Maybe I'll be able to visit that with you, if they let me."she smiled at him, even though she wanted to hug his legs and refuse to let him leave.

"I'll talk to them about it. I wish you could drive down with me, you're awfully good at this packing thing." he smirked. "It's almost like you want me to go."

"Oh, totally. I can't wait to live in the tower with just Tony, Bruce and Pepper." she rolled her eyes. 

"Bruce likes the classical music you play, it soothes him." 

"Bully for him. At least Tony talks to me now. Who knew it would take me nearly dying to be of importance." 

"Hey now." Cap put the box in his hand down. "You were important to him far before that. He just has a funny way of showing his love. He's not doing it because SHIELD made him, he's doing it because it's his duty as your godfather and he does care about you."

"I know, I know. Let me joke." she said sighing. She was going to miss this. Everyone in that tower needed someone to wake them up from their own screaming nightmares. I guess her and Bruce were going to become buddies now, unless Natasha came home. 

"Are you going to be okay?" Cap asked sitting next to her in the back of the truck. 

"Yeah. I'm fine. It's hard but I know she'd want me to be strong." she gulped back tears. Why did he bring it up now?

"You don't have to be so brave all the time, Kate." he whispered. 

"Before we got there... she said she was afraid something like that was going to happen. But I never thought it would be her, you know? They said history repeats, Cap. I think they meant what happened to you and Bucky." tears rolled down her face. "It can't be HYDRA, but what if it is?"

Steve held her in his arms for a long time before answering. "There's a chance, yes. But I promise we'll fight and defeat each and every single one of them if it is. I promise you that." 

"Does it ever get easier?" she asked. 

"I wish I could tell you yes, in full honesty. But I can't lie to you. However, if you surround yourself with good people... things lighten up. I'm fortunate to have found those people. The people I wanted seventy years ago might not be apart of that but I know that they'd want me to be happy. Just like Cassie would want you to be happy. Clint, Natasha, Bruce Tony, Pepper and me... we're your family now. Even Maria and Nick. Hell, even Thor. What is that he calls you?"

"Lady Katherine of New York, warrior and loyal companion." she laughed wiping tears away.

"Clint thought he was going to take you to Asgard to marry a cousin or someone of his. We were all concerned." he smiled at her and helped her out of the truck. "Oh, what do you say? One more slice of the best pizza in New York before I ship out?" 

"Will you tell me more about Peggy Carter?" she asked. 

"I thought you read her book?" 

"I don't want to hear it from Angie's point of view, I want to hear it from yours." she groaned. 

"Angie did a wonderful job, I never met her but she seemed lovely. Maybe when you come down to visit me, you can meet Peggy." Steve said. 

"Now I have to go." she laughed. 

"She'd love you, you're a lot like her. Where do I begin?"

"When you first met her!" 

"Oh god, it was the most terrifying moment of my life. I'm just this skinny boy from Brooklyn and I'm being forced to do one hundred push ups, led by this beautiful English woman.  Some hooligan thought he could mouth off to her and she punches him square in the nose! It was love at first sight for me... maybe not for her at first but I'd like to believe she did like me before I was... well what I am now. I was horrible at talking to women. I think I called her a dame." he recalled. 

"Cap, no!" Kate cackled.

"Bucky was the ladies man, shoot if he were around today he'd probably still be taking ladies dancing." Steve smiled at the thought. "He'd like you too. Personally, I think everyone would like you. The Commandos, Howard-"

"Howard liked all women." Kate said. "That's what I've read, at least." 

"You know, when we get back, I think I'd like to borrow these books. I think I'm ready to read them. I feel left out. I missed out on so much and you know more than I do. Maybe you should tell me stories too." Steve nudged her lightly. 

"Okay fine, we'll take turns." she agreed.

"You first." he said.

"Apparently Peggy lived in all-women's housing for a few months, that's where she met Angie. Howard would sneak in and flirt with the women and take Peggy away to work on secret stuff with his friend Jarvis. Did you know him? Tony named JARVIS after his father's friend/butler. Jarvis Jarvis raised him with some help from Peggy, but Peggy had her own... work."

"I know she has a family, Kate. I didn't know that Howard did that though. Jeez o Pete's."

"Only grandpa's say Jeez o Pete's." she pointed out to him. 

"I hate to break it to you, Katie-Kate, but I am old enough to be your great-grandfather." he pointed out to her. 

"Ew I hate when Clint and Nat call me that, Cap. That's the worst. No scratch that, Katie is the worst. Katie-Kate is second worst." she acted like something crawled over it. 

"Alright, alright. Now back to the stories, I have a good one I know you haven't heard. It's about when Peg met Buck."

"Oh boy." 

* * *

 

 

 


	2. Act 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> continuation of the last one

**During the Winter Soldier events**

Steve called Kate and urged her to leave the tower, as it was unsafe for her to be there now that HYDRA compromised SHIELD. Natasha gave her secret coordinates and told her not to leave or do anything drastic. HYDRA knew she was alive, and would do anything to get to Cap. Kate took a small aircraft and went straight to where the coordinates directed her. Where does Natasha Romanoff hide between risky missions? 

Clint Barton's farm in East Jesus Nowhere, USA. 

She was greeted by the dummy himself and his secret family. Not even Kate knew, his own protege. "It is so nice to finally meet you, Kate. I've heard so much about you." his wife, Laura said. 

She felt at home with the Barton family. They even had a dog. He was a Labrador Retriever,- a stray Clint found one day- who was blind and just happened to love pizza. Laura reminded Kate of her mother with her long dark hair and ageless skin. Clint must have told her everything about Kate. The kids were also kind to her, the little one asking if she was their new big sister. Kate was the little sister in her family. She hadn't spoken to her sister in years, you ruin one wedding, you get ignored forever. _Did she mourn my death or just buy a new Louis Vuitton bag? It better have been a really good bag._ Kate didn't know what to tell Lila, thankfully Cooper said no, that she was like aunt Nat. 

That explained a million things.

"How long are you going to stay?" Clint asked her.

Kate took a while to think about that. The longer she was with them, the less she wanted to leave. Cap said that it would be over soon, but how soon was that? A day? A week? Maybe Kate didn't have to go back immediately. Natasha said she'd come pick her up when it was all over. "Until you kick me out I guess." she smiled at Lila, who jumped onto Kate's lap and hugged her. 

"Good, I can finally teach you some new tricks." Clint said playing with the darts outside of the kitchen. 

A few days has past and it was like Kate had lived there all her life, she woke up with the sun and helped Clint feed chickens and drink multiple cups of coffee before Laura and the kids woke up. She was building back muscle in her arms that had loosened up from a year and a half of not doing rigorous training like this. The new tricks were challenging, but she caught on to them fast, must to Clint's dismay. 

"I'm getting too old, aren't I?" he chuckled as he sat down on a bale of hay rubbing his shoulder. 

"Nope, I'm just better than you." Kate smirked. 

Laura came running in the barn with her phone in her hand. "It's Natasha... something's happened to him." She handed the phone to Clint.

"Laura, what is it?" Kate asked. She felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. 

"They found Steve on the bank of the Potomac." she said as she hugged Kate close to her. "He's in a safe hospital now, he's just in a coma. He'll be okay, Kate." 

"When is Nat coming?" Kate asked Laura. 

"I don't know if she'll be able to, she has to do hearings and... she leaked all of SHIELD HYDRA's secrets. You should stay here for awhile until this all cools down." Laura sighed. "There's some things in there you might not want to get too caught up in."

"Like what?" 

"Did you know what your father did to become the man he is today?" Laura asked gently.

Kate's eyes filled with tears. "No... not HYDRA. Not my father."

"Not HYDRA exactly but... there's this woman named Whitney Frost, are you familiar with her?"

Oh, Kate knew Whitney. She was at her sister's wedding, at her mother's funeral... she was everything Kate was supposed to be; graceful, charming, and a total bitch. She was only a few years older than her, but not as old as her young step mother. She worked with Kate's father on numerous secret projects. But what did she have to do with what was in those files Nat leaked?

"She's the leader of a group called the Maggia, an East Coast Mafia associated with HYDRA.  She's a criminal mastermind who is extensively skilled in hand to hand combat and other forms of strategy. Clint went on a mission to take her out with Natasha years ago. A mission you may be familiar with-"

"Budapest." Kate rolled her eyes. "So you're telling me Whitney Frost is the awful Madame Masque. The one Natasha and Clint practically blew up?"

"Yes." Laura looked over at Clint who was still talking to Natasha. 

"Are you telling me that my dad is apart of the Maggia?" Kate asked. 

"That's not all. They're pretty pissed you're alive for some reason., HYDRA put a bounty on your head and she's looking for you." Laura was holding Kate's hand. 

"I thought Stephen Strange locked her crazy ass up somewhere safe and threw away the key." Kate rubbed her temples. "I can't stay here, I can't put you in danger."

Clint handed Laura her phone back. "She's not going to find you. You're untraceable."

"She's crazy as hell, dummy. She'll get to everyone to get to me. That starts with you, and if she can't get to you fast enough she'll go to Tony." Kate stood up. "She's a damned fool if she tries to get through Natasha."

"Are you leaving?" Clint asked with sadness in his voice. 

"I can't do this to your family." she said in a hushed tone. 

"You're apart of our family now, Katie-Kate." Clint said. 

Kate looked at Clint and Laura and thought of Cooper and Lila, even Lucky. They were what Kate always wished, a happy family. They wanted her. They loved her. And she loved them. 

"There's a bounty on my head, she's not the only one out for me. I have to do this." Kate tried not to cry. 

Laura did, and she thought she saw a tear from Clint. "Take Lucky and our RV. That way you always have a part of us with you and a place to sleep. Come home for dinner every now and then." Laura said rapidly. 

Clint looked at his wife in shock. "Please bring Lucky back in one piece, the kids and us are kind of attached to him." Kate smiled, how Clint of Clint to avoid telling Kate he loved her. "You should also take some of my trick arrows." 

"You haven't even used half of them yet." Kate was surprised Clint was willing to give up his new arrows for her. 

"Exactly, good luck, girly-girl." he smirked and suddenly it was like she was just going on a solo-non life-threatening mission. 

Kate ate dinner with them one last time and said a long farewell to the kids. 

"Will you come back with auntie Nat?" Lila sobbed. 

"I promise." she hugged her tightly and prayed that she would never make Lila cry like this again. 

"Bring Lucky home, too." Cooper smiled sadly. He looked just like Clint there, only younger and less scarred up. 

"No worries, Coop." she ruffled his long hair and he playfully shoved her. Like little brothers do to big sisters. 

In the morning she said a final goodbye to Clint and Laura- who had woke up early to say goodbye even though it looked like she hadn't had much sleep that night- and hit the road. She decided California was the place to catch her, if Whitney was smart enough to look for her there. When she got there she would call Natasha and Cap. 

* * *

 

**Post-Winter Soldier/HYDRA events**

Kate was doing little jobs here and there to make some extra cash. She missed her cello but loved living near the ocean and seeing all the different kind of people in L.A. She kept in touch with the Barton's and Natasha and Cap. Cap and his new friend Sam were on a man-hunt for Bucky Barnes, who just so happened to be a brainwashed Bucky Barnes. Kate was told to keep an eye out for him. 

"Any luck with Madame Masque?" he asked her one day on the phone as she was making her and Lucky mac and cheese. 

"I've been baiting her and her goons for a while now. Whitney Frost is a pretty popular name over here. More people know who I am now and I'm sure at least a handful of the people I've come across know her personally and have mentioned me. I'm waiting for her arrival any day now." Kate said satisfied. 

"Just be careful, Hawkate. You're living in those old ladies' house and we can't really afford to fix all the damages a madwoman like her can do to a Californian home and an entire menagerie of cats." Cap joked, it was good to hear him joking and laughing at his own jokes. The whole Finding Bucky was really wearing him out, but Kate could hardly tell when she was talking to him like this.

Doing light detective work was fun for her, it was amazing that adults would trust a rookie and not even full avenger to solve their low brow cases. The real detectives were not a fan, but she wasn't doing too much damage. She had never been more relaxed in her life. She did yoga on top of the RV, she watched all the funny shows on TV and Netflix, took care of the old ladies' garden, cuddled with Lucky and five cats everyday, made an honest paycheck every case she worked on- there was always stress, but nothing like she had for the past few years. That was until the man bun appeared. 

It was just her luck, of course. She should've called Cap and Sam but for some reason she can't explain... she wouldn't. He looked always looked tired and scared. His hair was so long and he needed a shave. He went to the same diner Kate often operated out of, people came to her with dilemma's and bought her milkshakes as a pre-charge for business. He was always eating a burger and fries in a private corner in the booth next to where Kate sat. She didn't know it was Bucky, she remembered seeing a well-groomed, young and undoubtedly hot man from the pictures Cap had shown her and from what she saw in old magazines and textbooks from school. He looked bad with a capital B but more so sad... with a capital S.

So, remembering what her charitable mother had taught her, Kate asked if she could sit in the booth with him to talk after watching him for a week.

"Uh... sure." he said politely.

"My name is Kate, I do freelance detective work. Do you know anyone named Whitney Frost?" she inquired sweetly.

He looked taken aback, his blue eyes looked like wide saucers and his unruly eyebrows were drawn close together. "Mmm, doesn't sound familiar. Sorry, miss."

"Oh, that's fine." she smiled at him. He gave the smallest and saddest smile she had ever seen.

"What's your name?" she asked.

Sighing, he put his burger down and looked right into her eyes. That's when she realized whom she was speaking to. "James. I'm new in town." he murmured. 

Kate fought the urge to call him a liar and whip her phone out to text Cap. Instead she invited him to dinner at her temporary home and after another week of begging, he accepted. She was a familiar face to him now, and she thought he trusted her now.

Kate spent the whole day cleaning up, also placing her bow and some taser arrows (thanks, Clint!) in a hidden spot just in case he turned on her. Kate couldn't cook, she could make a decent canned soup but she didn't have enough for a meal. Soup and bread? He wasn't Jean Val Jean! She thought of ordering Chinese food, _everyone likes almond boneless chicken with rice and an  egg roll,_ she said to herself. _That's a stupid idea, he probably won't eat that. What did Old Bucky like to eat...._

Then it hit her, it was her huzzah moment. Pizza. Kate had heard a plethora of stories where lil Steve had gotten beaten up and then Bucky bought him pizza. So she called in for two large pepperoni pizzas; one with stuffed cheese crust and one regular. When there was a polite knocking on the door, she jumped at least a foot off the ground. She looked in the little hole in the door- it was Bucky, who was early.

"Pardon my earliness.. I thought I would get lost." he said monotonously.

Kate's eyebrows were raised nearly off her forehead, thank god her bangs covered that. He had cleaned himself up a little. He was wearing a different shirt and shaved, but what killed Kate the most was the man bun, which looked ridiculous on every other guy in L.A. but looked kinda hot on Bucky. She wanted to slap herself into the next week, _you will not be attracted to the guy who almost killed Natasha and Cap._ _He is a trained spy and this is a game. Play the game._

"No problem, James. The pizza should be here soon. I hope you like animals, I have a dog and a few cats... they're not mine." Lucky came out and sniffed his way to Bucky.

Lucky didn't growl, and Lucky can always sniff out the baddies. In fact, he loved Bucky. Bucky liked him too, he was smiling and scratching Lucky's ears. Kate felt nauseous. How could her own companion turn on her like this?

"I think the pizza man is here, Kate." Bucky stood up to answer the door.

"I got it." she was slightly bothered he just _assumed_ it was a pizza man. There were plenty of pizza women here, _welcome to the modern world, Bucky Barnes. Women can make a living out of delivering pizza now too._

However, it was a pizza man and she felt guilty for thinking those things about him, surely he wasn't a sexist rat like the men Peggy Carter came across. Steve wasn't like that and it seemed like HYDRA left Bucky's manners.  When she turned around and closed the door with her foot, her jaw nearly dropped to the ground. He had set the table. 

"Need help?" he offered to take the boxes from her. 

"I got it." she said again. Now her eyes were like saucers... she couldn't do this anymore. 

"Is everything alright, Kate?" he asked her, placing a hand on her elbow. 

She clenched up, fighting the urge to knock that elbow back into his stomach and punch him with her other hand, freeing her arm and grabbing her bow with the taser arrow. But she didn't. Instead she looked at him and smiled. "Oh, everything's fine. I just remembered something, that's all." 

He made small talk, like at the diner. "I hope you don't think I'm rude for asking but, aren't you a little young to be a detective, more so living on your own like this?" 

"I guess I just look young for my age." she smiled at him, cordially.  _Psh, your ass should be in an old folks home. "Aren't you a little young?" Buddy please, I didn't ask to be Forever 18._ "May I ask why you always wear those gloves?" Hook and Bait (is that how that goes? it's something Clint said when he fed the chickens but she never really paid attention to his weird chicken ramblings.) 

He looked slightly angry. "My hands were severely burned in an accident from my youth, I wear these gloves so people don't ask me about it."

For a second, he had Kate convinced. How did he think that one up so fast? "I'm sorry if I offended you." she looked down and chewed her pizza. 

"It's alright." He grabbed another slice of pizza. "Mind if i give Lucky my crust? This one doesn't have the cheese."

"Uh, yeah that's fine. He just can't have too much. I read somewhere that bread expands in dog's stomach's and if they eat too much it's difficult for them to digest it, so they get sick." Kate informed him. 

"Must be why dogs live for so long now." he muttered as he tore the crust in half and putting it by his feet for Lucky to sniff out. 

"What was that?" Kate asked even though she heard him perfectly. 

"Must be why dogs live for so long now, the science is a lot better than it was when... our grandparents were around." he spoke very carefully. 

Kate agreed. "If you get warm, you can take your jacket off." she said casually.  _Come on, buddy. Let's hear this one._

"Where should I hang it up?" he asked as he wiped his gloved hands off on a napkin and then shrugged his jacket off. He had a long sleeved black shirt on. 

Kate nearly choked out of anger, "You can set it on the couch."

"Thanks." he resumed eating his pizza.

"So, where are you living?" she asked, completely out of anything else to say that might bait him. 

He was quiet for a while and just chewed his pizza. Before he spoke, he took a sip of his his Coca-Cola. "I'm staying in a motel for now. I don't plan on staying here for long."

"Oh." she noticed the sadness in his voice, he was looking at Lucky. What was he playing at? "Why?"

"I like to travel." he said flatly. 

"You know, there's a spare room here and there's like three beds in the RV parked outside. You could stay here with me." she looked him in the eyes. 

_Great, now you've resolved to using flirtation. Way.To.Go.Bishop._

"I wouldn't want to be a burden. You seem awfully busy." he cleared his throat. 

"You wouldn't be one at all. I'm quite lonely here, with only the cats and Lucky. It's hard to make friends in a city like this. Everyone is so... secretive." she even batted her eyelashes.

He raised an eyebrow. "I don't know if that's a good idea. Thank you, though. I just-"

"Just what?" she tried to act like the women in the films from the forties. She loved those movies. 

"I'm not a good roommate, I'm afraid. You hardly know me." he said, looking slightly uncomfortable. 

"Well, we can get to know each other this way." she stood up to throw her plate away and took his too. 

He followed her with his eyes and they got bigger when she stood in front of him. "You don't understand, Kate." he got up and grabbed his jacket. 

Kate went to the door and refused to let him leave. She looked up at him with big ole doe eyes and he looked like he was getting more and more frustrated with her. "James, I think you're a very special man. I want to get to know you."  _boom.  HOOK. LINE. SINKER. THAT'S THE PHRASE._

His face went blank for a moment. Then he looked scared. "Who are you?"

"I'm Kate, the woman you've been talking to for the past two weeks." she said, still looking at him.  _Now we cooking with grease, wait is that right?_

"No. Why are you so concerned with me? Why do you care? Who are you really?" he nearly shouted. 

Now Kate was angry. "You wanna know? I'm Kate Bishop. I'm practically an Avenger. I'm on the run because I'm supposed to be dead and this crazy lady my father works with hates me. We have a mutual friend." 

Bucky took about six steps back. "No... no... please don't." he murmured. 

"Bucky..." Kate whispered. 

"NO! THAT'S NOT MY NAME." he yelled.

"Bucky you can trust me I know Steve okay. Look at me, Buck. I'm here to help you." the words came out faster than she could process them. 

"He's alive, I swear. I dragged him back to land myself. I didn't know. I didn't know it was him. He... I almost killed him and I don't know why. I'm a monster. I remember now. The woman he was with, the red hair. I remember her, I loved her once. I loved Stevie too. He was like my brother. He used to be skinny and he would always get into trouble." Bucky sobbed. 

Kate put a hand on his cheek and caught the tears that fell. He put a hand on her cheek too, she didn't realize she was crying too. 

"I don't deserve this, I'm a monster." he repeated.

"No, you're not. Look at me." she made him look at her. "That wasn't you, Bucky. That was what HYDRA created. They made a monster and used you as a vessel." 

"Your eyes look just like his..." he whispered softly, putting his hand back on her cheek. 

"Well.... I do kind of have some of his blood in me..." she said nervously. 

He looked puzzled. "I'm not his kid." she said quickly. He nodded. "It's a long story, I'll tell you another time, okay?" 

They stood there for a while, Kate against the wall and Bucky so close to her.  _Cap would be pissed if I made out with his best friend._ Her buzzing phone made both of them jump. 

"Hello?" she answered without looking at who it was. Bucky backed off. 

"It's Nat. You've got a big incoming, MM is in pursuit. Want me to fly in? Girls' weekend after?" 

"Uh..." she panicked. "I've got this... I have friends here who can help me. Two big guys who have guns and a purple 'stang. Maybe we can hang out after?" 

Nat laughed. "Eager to get it over with I guess." Her voice then turned serious. "Just be careful, okay? I miss you lots, Katie Kate." 

"I miss you too, Nat... or should I say auntie Nat?" she smiled. 

"Oh shut up! Aight, got to go. Happy hunting!"

Bucky was sitting on the kitchen counter looking at the bananas that were very ripe. She walked over to him and he shyly looked back at her. "Everything okay?"

"Well, I have a new assignment and I'm might be gone for a while." she said. 

"Whitney Frost?" he asked. 

Kate laughed. "I knew you knew her." 

Bucky blushed. "I don't really. I know who Madame Masque is though, does that count?"

"It does. I need you to stay here, though." Kate unconsciously touched his left arm. Metal. 

He shook her hand away and slid off the counter. Kate followed him. "I'm the world's deadliest assassin." 

"Yeah and I'm an heiress who's half super soldier and the superior Hawkeye." she said.

"What is that supposed to mean?" he said calming down a little.

"I just felt like saying that to someone... I am the superior Hawkeye."  she repeated. 

He walked closer to her, and Kate got a little intimidated. "I can help you." 

"I don't want to risk it... they could take you back to HYDRA." she whispered. 

"Would the superior Hawkeye let that happen?" he smiled. 

Now she knew what it was like to be wooed by James Buchanan Barnes, just like Steve said- the man was very good with ladies. 

"I guess not." Kate smiled back a him. 

He leaned his head in close and Kate reached up... but then he was gone and out the door.  _What the ever-loving fuck, Barnes?_  She felt like crying and puking and eating more pizza all at the same time. She went and changed into her PJs and flopped down on the couch to watch an old cartoon. When she woke up, she was in her bed. She cautiously walked out into the living room to find Bucky passed out on the couch wearing an undershirt and sweatpants. 

"Kate?" he called out groggily. 

"Morning, Sarge." she had always wanted to call him that.

"Morning, Kate." he yawned.

 


	3. Act 3

**Pre-Ultron**

Kate would drive to the Barton's for dinner once every two weeks, she never brought Bucky. Eventually, Kate had to leave. She had a vendetta; avenge Cassie and find Eli and Teddy. They were in college now, she bet. They weren't fighting crime anymore. She knew that for a fact. If they read any of the files, they knew Kate was alive. Maybe somethings are just better off dead to some people. Bucky had packed the RV up and he was ready to go. Lucky was too, he was cuddled up on one of the RV beds, chewing on a toy bone Bucky got for him. Saying goodbye to the people she had been friends with in L.A. was hard. It was harder to say she'd be back soon. Bucky did a lot of driving that first day. They were bound to be back to the East Coast anytime now. 

"Have you talked to Steve?" Bucky asked shyly. He was nervous, Kate could tell. 

"Here and there. I still haven't told him about you." Kate watched him drive. 

The radio was set on an oldies channel, Kate didn't mind. It was the kind of music her mom listened to when she was happy. When she cooked dinner before she got sick and the chefs came in. Bucky would hum to some of the songs, not quite remembering enough to sing out loud, but you could tell he wanted to. 

"This was a popular song before I left for England." he smiled only a little. 

"Ca- I mean Steve told me you used to take girls dancing a lot." Kate said carefully. She wasn't sure whether or not to bring those things up, sometimes they made him upset. 

"I did?" he sounded confused.

"Yeah, you and Steve would go on double dates, but you'd end up dancing with both of the girls because Steve would either leave or they wouldn't  like him as much as they liked you." Kate recalled from one of Cap's stories.

Bucky smirked and looked at Kate at a red light. "He tell you everything about me?" 

Kate blushed. "It was kind of our thing. I'd tell him about Peggy post war and he'd tell me about you and her before he... you know."

"I don't remember how to dance." he admitted. 

He pulled the RV over into a carpool lot by the freeway and looked at Kate. Kate's heart started to race like a teenage girl's. "Can you show me how?"

"Uh... of course!" she reached over and turned the music up higher. 

Bucky held her hand with his flesh hand and her waist with his metal hand which was cool to the touch, even through Kate's shirt. Kate walked him through simple dancing steps and told him about older dances, which he was eager to learn. He was getting the hang of dancing again seventy years later. He was very determined and slowly growing tired. At a slow song, he pulled Kate close to him and rested his head gently on hers. Her head was on his chest.

"Did you ever show Steve how to dance?" he asked her.

"We danced once at a party, he pulled me out to the floor and spun me around for a while." Kate missed him. "But we never danced like this."

Bucky snorted, "I can spin you around too."

Kate felt red. "I like this."

"I do too." he paused for a moment and then said, "He really loves you, doesn't he?"

"I think he does. He's always supported me." she closed her eyes.

"I think he sees himself in you. I see it." Bucky raised her chin up to look at him. 

"Oh?" Kate laughed and then he laughed, breaking the tense moment. 

He blushed and said he didn't mean it like that. Kate felt a whole new set of butterflies in her tummy. And then they were kissing. 

And kissing.

And then against the wall kissing.

And on the floor kissing. 

His arm was cold on her bare flesh and it tickled her. When they got tired they laid on the bed for a while until Bucky continued kissing her neck. 

"He's going to kill me." he murmured on her throat. 

"You were planning on telling him?" Kate joked as she ran her fingers through his hair. 

He sat up and hung over her, his hair slightly in his face. "Good point." 

Kate sat up too and kissed his forehead and his cheeks until Bucky kissed her mouth and guided her back down on the bed. "Okay, old man. We should hit the road."

Bucky's eyebrows drew close together. "You're twenty and I'm twenty-eight. That's not too bad." 

"What's your point?" she asked him, missing his lips on hers. 

"I'm not old." he said getting up and putting his shirt back on. "Come on, it's your turn to drive." 

Kate sat up and caught the shirt he threw at her. "I didn't mean that we should really drive you know...."

Bucky laughed and went back on the bed to lay next to her. "It is late, and I'd hate to make you drive in the dark like this."

Kate smiled but Bucky looked at her with the most serious face she'd ever seen on him. He looked almost scary. Kate started laughing and he threw his head back and pushed her down and kissed her. "I can't scare you, can I?"

"Nope!" she said pulling his shirt back off and kissing his neck. 

* * *

 

**During Ultron**

Cap filled her in on all the drama, Tony and Bruce built a crazy robot that wanted to destroy the Earth so they Avengers were shipping out to someplace in Russia to fight him and two twins with magic powers. "Please keep undercover. This Ultron knows everything about all of us."

It was different on the East Coast, Bucky was different. He was afraid Sam would find him and take him from Kate. "Sam wouldn't do that. He won't kill you, he's helping Cap find you to protect you. He's a good guy." Kate reassured him one morning.

"Things will be different. We won't get to be like this around them. I don't think he'd like it." Bucky smiled at her. 

"He's not really my dad. I think he'd be happy that you and I are happy." she nodded at her own statement and then went back to kissing her worried traveling companion.

"And the other Avengers?" he asked her. 

"Okay well Clint might say something... he's a little more dad-ish. Natasha..." she looked at Bucky.

"She doesn't remember me, the Room wiped her memory of us. She doesn't remember me the way I remember her. Like you said, I'm just the guy who shot her a few times on a mission." Bucky said shrugging. 

"I don't think she'd say much. She's dating the Hulk." Kate said. Bruce was nice but she didn't like them together. They were awkward and she hadn't even seen them in person. Laura filled her in on the details. 

Laura was ready to have the baby anytime now. Clint had to be home in time for that. Kate promised she'd fly back home to help her with the baby, so would Natasha. Kate didn't even notice how horrified Bucky looked. 

"What?" she laughed at him. 

"The hulk? Big green monster?" he was in shock. 

"You know he's also a human, right?" Kate looked at him. 

"Oh thank god." Bucky put his head on Kate's shoulder and laughed. 

Kate found an old apartment building in Brooklyn. The neighborhood was old but the people were nice. Kate paid the first month and moved in the top floor loft. Bucky was happy and started to remember old things about living in Brooklyn. 

"Don't I have to carry you across the threshold?" he asked smirking at her. She nodded enthusiastically. 

He picked her up and carried her all the way to the bedroom, where he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Kate made noodles for them and bought some more dog food for Lucky, who was curled up and Bucky's feet. Bucky slept better when he was sleeping with Kate. He didn't have nightmares then. Sometimes he'd wake up screaming and Kate would have to hold him down until he remembered where he was. When the noodles were ready she walked into the room to wake him up. 

"I'm awake." he deadpanned when she walked in. Good ears, Bucky. "Com'ere."

"Food's ready." she said, trying to pull him out of bed. 

"Mm, maybe later." he sat up and pulled Kate into the bed. 

Lucky jumped off and found his own food bowl. "I already ate, you slept too long." she told him.

"That's alright. I'll eat later." he said between kissing her collarbone. 

He took her mind off of everything that was going on; Ultron, Clint almost dying thanks to HYDRA, HYDRA possibly finding them now, her family in danger, Laura alone with the kids and pregnant. For a while she forgot about everything bad that had happened to her, and it seemed like that was a lot. She didn't want it to end either. 

"Hey Kate, this is Sam Wilson. There's a slight Ultron situation and Rhodey and I need back up. I heard you were in town, can you give us a hand ASAP?" he sounded stressed.

Kate looked at Bucky sprawled out on the bed, dead asleep. "I'll be over soon." 

_Bucky,_

_some ultron problem. I won't be gone long, please stay home._

_-Kate_

She left the note on the pillow next to him and prayed he'd listen to her. She grabbed her bow and an arsenal of trick and regular arrow's and rode her bike to the tower, which looked seriously messed up. Sam and Rhodey were flying around fighting the robots. 

"There she is!" Rhodey called. "Hey Kate!"

"THIS IS NOT FAIR. I HAVE A BOW AND ARROW." Kate yelled as she shot at the Ultron guys. 

She ran inside the tower as the guys were yelling at her to come back. She went to where Tony kept the weapons. She grabbed a two guns and some ammo and put them in an old utility belt of Natasha's. She also grabbed a smoke bomb and a fire one. 

"Are you trying blow the area up?" Sam said landing next to her as she loaded a bow and asked him to throw the bomb up in the air.

"Not exactly." she said unsure. 

"Holy shit." Sam said in a monotonous shock, half the robots were melting from the impact. "You are good, little bird."

"I know." she said as she shot at some more bots. 

Hours later, there wasn't a bot insight. Sam had a bad cut on his chest, Kate had a few cuts and maybe a broken rib and Rhodey had a concussion. The Avengers were still in Sokovia dealing with the big Ultron and the other rest of the bots. Sam asked if Kate had seen Bucky anywhere. She lied and said no. He was frustrated he couldn't find him. Cap was getting discouraged, Sam said while driving Kate home. 

"Poor guy feels guilty about renting an apartment in Brooklyn, did he tell you that? 'It's too expensive' 'there's someone else out there who needs it more than I do, Sam.'" Sam said.

"I just rented an apartment in Brooklyn. It wasn't too bad. There's a few open lofts up at the top. He hasn't been looking hard enough." Kate had an idea. 

"I think a part of it is that he wouldn't feel the same without Bucky living near him like they used to. Brooklyn brings back memories for him." Sam winced at the pain. "I don't mean to be rude but... are those hickey's?" Sam laughed.

Kate blushed. "Nope, just bruises from the Ultrons, they ugh, okay no. I have a... friend." 

"Damn. Don't let your dad see those." he laughed. 

"My dad is a little busy being an evil dick right now to be worried about his daughter..." 

Sam looked at Kate for a while and then busted out in laughter. "Oh shit. I thought Clint was your dad. My bad, Kate. Hell, between Cap and him, you'd think they were fighting a custody battle over you. You go home to that boyfriend of yours, okay? Bring him over sometime, maybe even recruit him. We're going to need a few more team players." 

Kate laughed awkwardly. "You got it, Sam." 

When Kate stumbled in the door, she found Bucky waiting for her in the kitchen. He looked angry. "You look like hell." 

"Miss me?" she asked sitting on his lap. 

He still looked angry but kissed her forehead. "It sucks staying here, especially when you could be dying." 

Kate kissed him deeply. "I didn't die though. I fractured my rib a little but I'm okay."

His fingers lightly danced around her rib cage until she winced. It was healing quickly, thanks to her advantages. Most of her cuts were healed too. Bucky made her dinner and they ate together and watched a game show, which Kate would've won if she had been a real contestant. The did this almost every night for a few weeks.

"I want to go somewhere." Bucky said when he got out of the shower.

"You can go right here." Kate patted the bed as she looked at him in only the towel wrapped around his waist. 

"I want to take you on a date." he said crawling onto the bed next to her.

'I want to take you to the salon to cut that hair." she brushed it back around his ear and shook the water off her fingers. 

"Not going to happen, doll." he crossed his arms. "Come on, let's do something." 

"Can I take a shower first?" she rolled her eyes. 

"I suppose." he rolled his eyes, mimicking her. 

When she got out, she was waiting for her on the bed. His hair was in a bun and he was wearing the tight jeans and button up he bought in California. Wrapped in her towel, she looked for something to wear. Bucky helped her pick something out. A casual black velvet dress.

"Are you taking me dancing?" she asked him.

He didn't say anything. He just unzipped the dress and told her to step in. She dropped her towel and stepped in, turning around for him to zip her up. "Maybe we'll just stay home."  he whispered in her ear. 

"Nope, we're totally going out now. just let me cover up all these hickies and do my hair and makeup." she glared at him before she skipped to the bathroom and started. 

"Sorry about that..." he said watching her cover them up. "I've never seen you with makeup on before." 

Kate laughed. "Oh, please. You just haven't seen me with eyeliner and eyeshadow. I've pretty much been wearing it this whole time."

"Sneaky." he smiled and watched her put it on. When she was done he bit his lip and sighed. "You sure you wanna go?" 

"We are so going, Bucky." she said putting the bobby pins in her hair.

She turned around to look at Bucky, who looked conflicted. "You might give some of the old guys there a heart attack."

"You look like you might have one." she laughed at him, unbuttoning a few of his buttons. 

His hands went to the dress' zipper and she pulled his hands away. "Are you taking me to an old folks home to dance?"

"No, we're going to a club. Tonight is an oldies night." he handed her a pair of heels, trying to control himself. 

When she put them on, she was only an inch shorter than him. She liked being so close to his face when she stood up. He held the door open for her and everything. He was nervous, he carried a knife with him just in case they ran into trouble. He just wanted to see her happy and be the Bucky she had heard from the infamous stories. There weren't too many couples dancing, and they weren't all old. Kate wondered if Bucky once knew any of the old men who were dancing with their wifes and sitting at tables with what looked like their family. They danced and danced all night. Bucky had gotten a lot better with practice. Now that Kate's rib was fully healed, he could throw her up in the air now and catch her. They talked to older couples and even young ones. 

When they got back to the apartment, Kate pushed Bucky against the wall and kissed him until they both ran out of air. 

* * *

**During the Ant-Man events**

Just when things were perfect, everything fell apart. Bucky left when Cap moved in to the apartment across the hall. He said he had to. He never said why. Kate brought Lucky back home and confided in Laura. Kate stayed at the farm for a while. Natasha was there sometimes too, to help with Nathaniel. Kate wanted to tell Nat everything, to cry on her shoulder and eat ice cream with her and Laura. She wanted to tell Clint but instead she destroyed the bullseye's in all of the dummies and targets. She was angry. Not at herself or him, but the situation itself. Okay, and him. 

"Sam said you have a boyfriend, but he isn't here.... where is he?" Nat asked her while they sparred.

"We broke up. He couldn't handle the whole superhero thing." was it even a lie?

"I know what that's like." Natasha said before drinking her water. 

"I've been searching for any trace of the people who killed Cassie and I've found nothing. How am I supposed to be an Avenger if I can't even avenge her?" Kate said lying on the floor.

"You have been avenging her this whole time. You're living and you seem to be happy. That's what she'd want." Nat lay next to her and they both looked up at the top of the barn even though there wasn't much to look at. 

Eventually she went back to New York with Natasha. Kate met the new avengers, Wanda and Vision. She knew about Wanda's brother Pietro, who had died saving Clint. Wanda was fueled by avenging her brother. She was also kind and loved Vision. Which might have been weird, but stranger things have happened after all. 

Sam and Cap were still on the hunt for Bucky. Kate wish she had a hint to where he was. It wasn't Brooklyn and it wasn't California. 

"He's been accused of killing the ruler of Wakanda, assassinating the Starks and those are only the big two. He's got the prince after him and things aren't going to be pretty when Tony finds out." Sam told Kate.

"Do you think he can be justly accused for that? It wasn't technically him though." Kate said pretending not to care too much. 

"That's why we're trying to find him, if we can prove his innocence and register him, maybe the Accords will let him go." Sam sighed. 

"Prove his innocence?" 

"Cap said he remembered him and we haven't heard about a man with a metal arm terrorizing innocents. He's just a man who was brainwashed and-" 

"Used as a vessel for evil." Kate finished. 

"Exactly." Sam said looking at Kate. "You okay, little bird?"

Kate felt tears stinging her eyes. "Yeah it just... it's sad. I can't imagine how awful Cap feels."

"Will you come with us? I think it would make Cap feel better having you around." Sam said. 

"Of course." 

Cap said that there was a possibility he could be in Germany after reading a report on a woman being rescued from a fire by a man with a metal arm. They flew out immediately."If we can find this information, so can HYDRA. They've been looking for him for the past year. Wherever he's been, he's been hiding well."

"This is where it happened." Sam said looking at his phone. 

"Alright, Sam come with me and we'll look around. Kate, can you find the woman?" Cap asked. 

"Yeah, no problem." Kate nodded and they split up. 

 _Shit, I'll find him myself. And when I do, he better watch out._ Kate found the woman and asked in her best German if she knew where the man with the metal arm was. The woman said he was from around here and often stayed inside his house. Kate took the address and tracked him down. 

"Wer ist da?" he called from inside. 

"Open up, Bucky." Kate said not fooling around with the language. 

Bucky opened the door and pulled her inside. "Kate what are you doing here? Are you crazy? How did you find me?"

"I'm with Cap and Sam. You made the local news. I asked around, you're quite the hero." she said seething with anger. 

"Have you told them where I am yet?" he asked her, watching her carefully. 

"No. I figured we'd catch up." she crossed her arms. 

Bucky cautiously walked to her and cupped her face in his hand. "They were coming for me. They still are." 

"And I couldn't help you?" she challenged him. "The girl who's been fighting off baddies since she was sixteen years old. The girl who practically took out an entire Mafia by herself? You've seen me do a lot. But I can't handle HYDRA to help you?" 

"They'd kill you. I'm not supposed to be like this." he said scared. 

"Why do people keep telling me that over and over again. I haven't died recently!" Kate hit the wall angrily. "What do you mean you're not supposed to be like this?"

"I'm not supposed to be in love. I'm not allowed to feel emotions like this but I do. It's why they wiped me after Natasha and why they'll kill both of us now." he admitted.

"You don't love me." she laughed.

Bucky kissed her and locked the door behind him. Kate grabbed his face and kissed him harder than she ever had. Bucky pushed everything on the table off and picked Kate up to place her on there. Kate's foot on his chest stopped him. "You don't love me." she repeated. "Love is for children."

A new wave of emotion hit his face. He had heard that before. She knew exactly where. "I don't believe that from you."

"I was supposed to find you and bring you to Cap." she said remembering the first time she realized it was him at that diner in L.A. 

"You changed the mission, Kate. Don't lie to me like this. I love you and you love me." he yelled.

"You left without a warning. You didn't tell me anything, you don't trust me. You can't just kiss me and make it all better." Kate felt like spitting. 

"I know. If this is the last time I see you, I just wanted to kiss you while I'm still me." he backed away. 

Kate jumped off the table and stopped him from leaving her sight. "They aren't going to get you." 

"Humor me?" he looked her dead in the eyes. 

She pulled his head closer to hers and kissed him like he was leaving for the war all over again. He picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. "Knock, knock." she said.

"What the fuck?" he whispered.

"I'm humoring you." she smiled. 

Bucky laughed so hard he almost dropped Kate. It was like the old days. "We were getting somewhere."  

"We can't." she said, she was still kind of mad at him though. Her phone was buzzing. 

"Your captain is calling, Lieutenant." he said letting down her slowly. 

"Thanks, Sarge." she answered the phone. "Did you find him?" 

"No but we think we have a trace at the north side of the town. Where are you?" Cap asked her.

"South side of town. I spoke to the woman, she said the north side of town too. I'm speaking to other people who have seen him around." She lied and it hurt her. 

"We're staying at a tavern tonight, I'll send you the address. Don't be gone for too long. See you then." Cap said goodbye and sent the address. 

"You lied." Bucky said. "Why did you do that?"

"I'm buying you some time." she put her phone on the counter and her gun in its holster next to it. "Be at the north side of town by tomorrow." 

Bucky pulled her close to him again. "You called me Sarge. You haven't called me that since before the apartment in Brooklyn."

"I didn't realize you liked it so much." she said wrapping her arms around his neck. 

"So tomorrow I go to the north side of town and we go home with Cap and Sam?" he asked. "Then what? How are you going to explain all of this?" 

"Don't you remember? He doesn't have to know everything." Kate kissed him and he picked her up, taking her to his bedroom. 

The next morning she woke up in her bed at the tavern. Cap and Sam were eating breakfast downstairs and ordered a plate for her. "I have a good feeling about today." she said cheerfully. 

"Eager to catch him?" Sam chuckled. 

"Eager to go home." she smiled and then looked at Cap. 

That's when things went to shit, as they always do. A bomb from a few miles away shook the tavern. Cap sprang into action immediately followed by Kate and Sam. HYDRA was shooting and bombing the town. Kate looked for Bucky everywhere while she carried little kids into a safe place. Cap called for Bucky while Sam flew around overhead looking and shooting at the HYDRA agents. 

"Bucky?" Kate yelled. 

"Kate?" he was behind a shop loading a gun. Kate's gun. 

"What are you doing?" she asked. 

"Ending this, you coming with me?" he ran out and took out a handful of agents. 

Kate loaded her bow and released a taser arrow at one that was going after Cap. Cap looked over at Kate and saw Bucky with her. Cap ran over to them dodging bullets with the shield. "Nice job, Kate." Cap said smiling. "It's alright now Bucky."

Kate screamed out in pain. Everything was blurry. She heard Bucky shoot back at the shooter and Cap telling Bucky to run. Sam picking her up and flying her somewhere safe. When she woke up, she was in her apartment in Brooklyn. She had a big bandage on her back, near her heart. Cap was holding her hand. 

"Where's Bucky?" Kate murmured. It felt like she had cotton in her mouth.

"He ran. I told him too. I put a tracker on him, we know where he is." he said solemnly. "Have you met him before?" 

Kate sat up carefully. "No. I think he just trusted me because I was with you."

"He refused to let you out of his sight." Cap said. 

"Maybe I look like someone he used to know." Kate blinked back tears. 

"You can tell me the truth, Kate." he whispered. "You found him when you were in California, didn't you?"

Kate felt like she was going to throw up. "Yes... but I didn't know it was him for a while. We became friends, sort of. Looked out for each other."

"You kept him alive, you know that? HYDRA had sights on him through Madame Masque, you took those agents out." Cap smiled. 

"Why didn't you tell me you knew I was with him when I was with him?" Kate asked. "You just wanted me to lie to you?"

"You seemed happy when I moved in the apartment building. I hadn't seen you that happy since Cassie was around. I wasn't home much and one day when I came back, you were different again. I could hear the music from my apartment. Classical and forties music. Bucky's favorite songs. I don't want to know all the details. I'm glad he was with you. You kept him alive. You brought Bucky back from the Winter Soldier possibly better than I could've." Cap squeezed her hand. 

"You aren't mad I lied and hid him from you?" Kate asked incredulously. 

"Oh I was mad." Cap laughed. "Downright pissed. My best friend seducing my best girl? But then I realized he was safe and happy and you were too, so I've decided to deal with. Life is too short for being angry at the ones you love."

"He didn't seduce me!" Kate defended him. 

"I don't want to know the details!" Cap pretended to gag. 

* * *

 

**During the Ant-Man post credits**

Kate found Eli and Teddy. Teddy was at Duke studying science. Eli was at NYU for criminal justice. They all made up and registered as heroes.

"We didn't know if you would still be you." Teddy admitted. 

"I'm not the same me, but I'm me enough, right?" she smiled at them. 

"You're a super soldier, the right way." Eli joked. 

"So what's new with Kate Bishop?" Teddy asked. "Is there a boy, a girl? Both?"

"It's a long story." Kate blushed. "But you know Bucky Barnes?"

"Cap's best friend and the Winter Soldier? How could we forget. You had a huge crus-Jesus, Kate." Eli put his head down on the table. 

"You're banging Bucky Barnes?" Teddy asked.

"I was. He's hiding. Cap and Sam are getting him now." Kate sipped her coffee.

"Well, you'll be interested to hear that I found a guy." Teddy smiled at her. 

This is what Kate loved about Teddy. He was good at changing subjects. "Oh really?" 

"He's practically a wizard. His name is Billy. He has a twin named Tommy, he's fast. I think we should recruit them too." Eli spoke for Teddy.

"Are you trying to get the band back together?" Kate asked. 

"Listen, we've met a few new people at school and around town. There's a lot of promise, Kate. Young kids with a passion of avenging!" Teddy smiled encouragingly.

Kate sat and listened to all the people the boys named off. She mostly spent a lot of time thinking about the twins he mentioned... sounded a lot like Wanda and Pietro. The boys had to go back home and they scheduled a time to get coffee again and try to reach all these people. Kate went back to the apartment and called Natasha. 

"Hey, remember that girl's weekend you mentioned a while back?" Kate asked.

"Yeah. You up for it?" Kate heard gunshots and Natasha cursing in Russian. "I'll pick you up around three?" 

"Sounds good to me." 

When Natasha hung up, Cap called. "We have him. He's not okay. He thinks you're dead. He think he killed you." Cap said breathlessly. "They got to him again. We're bringing him home now." 

Kate felt frozen in time. Everything she worked toward with him, what if it was all gone? 

 

 


	4. Epilogue

**Post-Civil War**

"Hey, Sarge." Kate said. 

Bucky turned around, snow caught in his eyelashes and his now short hair. "I was looking for company."

Kate went over and held his hand. "You've been out here for a while, come inside."

"Does it ever get easier?" he asked in a whisper. 

"I wouldn't know." she said looking at him. 

They walked inside together and watched everyone training.

"I still love you, I just can't remember what it was like." Bucky added. "I think I'm afraid to."

Kate kissed his cheek. "I know." 

That's when Kate saw her. Standing with Scott, talking to Bruce. Kate had seen pictures from when she was a little girl, there was no denying it was her. She felt frozen and couldn't hear anything. 

"Kate, what's wrong?" Bucky asked her.

The little girl looked right at her and stood there puzzled. "Kate?"

 

 


End file.
